Machines for making vacuum cleaner bags



Jan. 21, 1958 A. P. KLASING MACHINES FOR MAKING VACUUM CLEANER BAGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1955 ARTH UR K K C'ZT'NG ATTORNEY A. P. KLASING MACHINES FOR MAKING VACUUM CLEANER BAGS Jan. 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 26, 1955 INVENTOR. v ARTHUR P. KLASING ATTORN EY Jan. 21, 1958 A. P. KLASING ,8

MACHINES FOR MAKING VACUUM CLEANER BAGS Filed Oct. 26, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet a I00 I a 62 n2 us 124 IOI' 2' 63 1 ea 64 a I a 61 I26 no r 99 :02 I05 us us "a "9 lzs 11 42 91 n us n2 38 m I07 39 z l 1 N x 4 nos Z 8 40 I 96 5 z I l a so I8 I a y I 51 65 Z x u 'u' l FIG-7 INVENTOR. ARTHUR P. KLASING ATTORNEY Jan. 21, 1958 K A. P. KLASING ,8

MACHINES FOR MAKINGVACUUM CLEANER BAGS v Filed Oct. 26, 1955 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 T 'lz FlG-9 &

FIG-8 INVENTOR. ARTHUR' P. KL'ASING ATTORNEY MACHINES FOR MAKING VACUUM CLEANER BAGS Arthur P. Klasing, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor to Central States Paper & Bag Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application Qctoher 26, 1955, Serial No. 542,871

12 Claims. (Cl. 112-10) This invention relates in. general to certain new and useful improvements in automatic bag making machinery and, more particularly, to a machine for making vacuum cleaner bags from paper.

Modern vacuum cleaners are, for the most part, designed to employ disposable dust collecting bags made of paper or other similar inexpensive material. This is particularly true of the smaller tank-type vacuum cleaners. The bag, however, must be very inexpensive and yet possess rather specific structural characteristics. it must be as pervious to air as possible and yet be capable of retaining dust particles and finely divided household debr i s of all sorts. Furthermore, the bag must be physically strong so as to resist rupture or tearing during insertion into, and removal from, the vacuum cleaner and finally the bag must have some very convenient and secure means for attachment to the air discharge throat of the vacuum cleaner, thereby affording trouble-free operation for the housewiffl. Paper bags having all these characteristics have been developed and are in use, but heretofore have necessarily been made by hand and, therefore, are comparatively expensive.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an automatic machine for making vacuum cleaner bags which possess all the above described physical and structural characteristics.

Itis another object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type above stated which is capable of producing vacuum cleaner bags and bags of similar type at a high rate of speed and with a minimum of manual labor or attention so that manufacturing costs are reduced to an absolute minimum.

--With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed outtin the claims.

in theaccompanying drawings .(four sheets)-.

Figure l is a perspective view of a bag making machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum cleaner bag manufactured by the bag making machine of the present invention;

Figures 3a and 3b, when taken together, constitute a top plan view of the bag making machine, said views necessarily being split in order that the scale of the drawing could be large enough to Show the details of the machine;

. Figures 4a and 412, when together, constitute a front elevational view of the bag making machine, said views e ng p it or t me ea s as apply o F ur s 3a n 31?;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view schematical- :1 showing the manner n w i h the bag r a red through the ma h ne;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view takenalong liue tor-:6 of Figure 5;

Patented Jan. 21, 8

Figure 7 is a perspective view schematically showing the various co-ordinated operations-performing elements of the machine;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 88 of Figure 3b;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 3a;

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the finished vacuum cleaner bag; and

Figures 11 and 12 are sectional views taken along lines 11-11 and 12-12, respectively, of Figure 10.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates abag making machine comprising a table-like angle-iron structure including four main vertical legs 1, 2, 3, 4, horizontal bottom-rails 5, 6, horizontal top-rails 7, 8, cross-members, 9, 10, 11, 12, and angularly positioned braces 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 1 9, 20, all welded together into a unitary machine frame 21. Also welded to the rails 5, 6, 7, 8, and extending laterally therefrom are transversely aligned side extensions 22, 22', consisting of legs 23, 24, 23, 24, U-shaped top frames 25, 25, and U-shaped bottom frames 26, 26.

Rigidly mounted on the rear or feed end of the machine A and extending crosswise over the frame 22 is a fiat table 27 having a large U-shaped indentation 28 in its outer margin to provide clearance space in which a worker can stand for feeding the machine. Also rigidly mounted on the side of the frame 22 are a main switch 29, a heat control rheostat 39, an electric speed control 31, and a push button starter switch 32, all of'which are conventional and, therefore, are not shown or described in detail.

Bolted or otherwise suitably mounted upon the toprails 7, 8, just forwardly of the table 27, are aligned pillowblocks 33, 34, for operatively supporting a horizontal cross-shaft 35, which is journaled at its ends therein. Similarly bolted upon the top-rails 7, 8, at the forward end thereof, are pillow-blocks 36, 37, for operatively supporting a horizontal cross-shaft 38. Welded to the top-rails 7, 8, at suitably spaced intervals are a number of short vertical uprights 39 which support three spaced parallel slide-plates40, 41, 42, extending horizontally and lengthwise from one end of the machine A to the other with their upper faces coplanar with the top surface of the table 27. Pinned, keyed, or otherwise rigidly mounted upon the cross-shaft 35 are two sprockets 43, 44, which are respectively located in the spaces between the slide-plates 40, 41, 42, and similarly mounted upon the cross-shaft 38 are sprockets 45, 46, respectively in line, lengthwise of the machine A, with the sprockets 43, 44. Trained around the sprockets 43, 45, and 44, 46, are roller chains 47, 48, the return runs of which are supported in the usual manner by a series of idler sprockets 49. The forward runs of the chains 47, 48, are slid over and aresupported by horizontal I bars 50, 51, which are so mounted that the chains 47, 48, run horizontally in the spaces between the slide-plates 40, 41, 42. The

' chains 47, 4%, are, furthermore, provided, at uniformly spaced intervals, with upstanding pairs of pusherears 52, 52', which project upwardly above the plane of the top surfaces of the slide-plates 4t), 41, 42, and engage the rear margins of bag-blanks b as they are fed into the machine A, as shown in Figure 5 and as will presently be more fully described.

Suitably mounted between the bottom-rails 5, 6, about midway of the frame 21 upon cross-members 53, 53',.is a large electric motor 54 having a drive pulley 55 which is connected by a belt 56 to a transmission pulley 57 which, in turn, i keyed ,upon a cross-shaft 58 having drive 3 sprockets 59, 60, and a pinion-gear 61. The latter meshes with a similar pinion-gear 62 which is pinned upon a short jack-shaft 63 journaled in a pillow-block 64 and provided at its other end with a sprocket 65 connected by a roller chain 66 to a sprocket 67 keyed upon one end of a cross-shaft 68. At its opposite end, the cross-shaft 68 is provided with sprocket 69 which is connected by a roller chain 70 to a large drive sprocket 71 pinned to the cross-shaft 38, so that when the motor 54 is energized, the feed-chains 47, 48, will be driven in the direction of the arrow in Figure 7.

Welded upon the top-rails 7, 8, and extending upwardly and thereacross is a super-structure 72 preferably formed of angle-iron members and including top-bars 73, 74, which support pairs of pillow-blocks 75, 76, and 77, 78, in which shafts 79, 80, are respectively journaled, the latter projecting outwardly beyond the machine frame 21 and being provided with a gear 81 which meshes with a similar gear 82 mounted on a jack-shaft 83 which is also provided with a sprocket 84 connected by a roller chain 85 to a sprocket 86 pinned on a shaft 87, the latter being the shaft upon which the idler sprocket 49 is mounted.

Mounted noon the shafts 79, 80, are relatively large drum-wheels 88, 89. around which is trained a heavy somewhat flexible belt 90, the lower horizontal run of which lays directly upon the slide-plate 41 and is resiliently pressed down thereon by a series of pressing rollers 91 which are journaled in a floating frame 92. the latter being more or less loosely supported within the framework 72 and provided with adjustable limit-screws 93, all as best seen in Figures 4a and 9.

Mounted on the side frames 22, 22', are two sewing machines 94, 94', respectively, the latter being a so-called lefthand machine. Otherwise, the sewing machines 94, 94, are conventional lock-stitch machines and are located so that the needles and feed plates thereof are spaced laterally outwardly from the outer edges of the slide-plates 40, 42, respectively. The sewing machines 94, 94', are, furthermore, provided with drive-sprockets 95, 95', respectively, for driving connection by means of roller chains 96, 96', to the sprockets 59, 60.

Forwardly of the sewing machines 94, 94', the top-rails 7, 8, are provided with outrigger-frames 97, 97', which support taperolls 98, 98', and tape-guide rolls 99, 99', around which continuous webs w, w, of tape are turned from horizontal to vertical paths and fed into tape folders 100, 100'. As the tape-webs w, w, feed off the tape rolls 98, 98', they pass over glue-applicator rolls 101, 101, which are supplied with liquid glue from glue reservoirs 102, 102', by means of feed-pipes 103, 103'. As will be seen from Figure 3b, the folders are located in the line or path of movement of the transverse margins of the bag-blanks and accordingly the outer longitudinal margins of the slide-plates 40, 42, are cut away as at 104, 104, to afford clearance therefor.

Mounted on the top-rails 7, 8, forwardly of the outrigger-frames 97, 97, are vertical journal frames 105, 105, for slidably supporting bearings 106, 107, and 106', 107', which operatively support shafts 108, 109, the latter being provided with pairs of opposing rolls 110, 111, and 110', 111', which are respectively located along the path of movement of the transverse edges of the bag-blank, all as best seen in Figure 3b and for purposes presently more fully appearing.

Also mounted on the top-rails 7, 8, forwardly of the vertical journal frames are vertically adjustable bars 112, 112, and freely journaled therein are three spaced parallel horizontal shafts 113, 114, 115, each provided adjacent their opposite ends with pairs of cylindrical brushes 116, 116', 117, 117, and 118, 118', respectively.

Bolted or otherwise rigidly mounted on the top-rails 7, 8, are vertical bearing stands 119, 119', in which are journaled two vertically spaced horizontal shafts 120, 121, respectively located v above and below the slide-plates 40,

41, 42, and mechanically interconnected by meshing pinions 12 2, 123. The lower shaft 121 is also provided with a sprocket 124 which is drivingly connected by a roller chain 125 to a drive sprocket 126 pinned upon the shaft 38. Pinned or otherwise suitably mounted on the shaft 120 for rotation therewith are hold-down rollers 127, 128, 129, and similarly mounted on the shaft 121 are two cut-off rolls 130, 130, having cut-off blades 131, 131', which coact against the rolls 127, 129, for purposes presently more fully appearing.

At their extreme forward ends, the slide-plates 40, 41, 42, are bent downwardly at an angle to form a discharge chute over which the finished bags may slide.

The vacuum cleaner bags are made by forming an openended tubular bag-blank b and a collar 0, as shown in Figure 2. The bag-blank b is formed as a bellows-pinch tube on a conventional bellows-pinch machine, the latter being no part of the present invention. On the bellowspinch machine, or by separate procedure if desired, the bag-blank b is provided with a central aperture x around which the collar c is to be secured. The collar 0 is also blanked out in a conventional die-cutting machine and coated with an annular band of thermoplastic adhesive y. The adhesive can be applied well in advance of use so that when the collars are manually fed to the bag-making machine A, the adhesive is dry and very slightly tacky. It is also possible to provide an automatic machine in which a stack of die-cut collars c is placed, so that the collars can be fed one at a time from the stack across glue-printing rolls and delivered to the operator in timed relation to the operation of the machine A, in which case the adhesive is wet. A suitable supply of bag-blanks b and collars c are placed on the feed-table 27 and the operator feeds them into the machine A by laying a bagblank b crosswise on the slide-plates 40, 41, 42, with the aperture x up, and placing a collar 0, adhesive side down, upon the bag-blank around the aperture x with enough manual pressure so that the slightly tacky adhesive will temporarily hold it in place. One set of ears 52, 52', will then come around and pick up the bag-blank, as shown in Figure 5, and feed it beneath the belt over the heater h which will soften the band of adhesive y and the collar will be pressed down into adherent position by the weight of the rollers 91. As the bag-blank b travels forwardly away from the rollers, it passes beneath the sewing machines 94, 94, and its transverse edges seamed shut. Next in order, the bag-blank b passes through the folders and the end seams enfolded in the tape-webs w, w', coming off the tape-rolls 98, 98'. Thereupon, the bag-blank b passes beneath the squeeze rolls 110, 111, and 111', which serve to press the folded tape down into tightly adherent position over the end closure seams formed by the sewing machines 94, 94'. Finally, the tape is smoothed out by the brushes 116, 116', 117, 117', 118, 118.

It will, of course, be understood that bag-blanks b are fed into the machine A one right after another. Furthermore, the lines of stitches formed by the sewing machines 94, 94', and the tape-webs w, w, are continuous, so the bags actually are formed into a continuous or connected chain as they progress through the machine A. However, the cut-off rolls 130, are of such diameter as to sever the tape-webs w, w, upon each revolution, between the blanks b, as schematically shown in Figure 7, thereby forming individual bags b, as shown in Figures 10, ll and 12, having strong air tight end-closure seams and collars c, the edges of which are unglued so as to slip readily under the attachment clip of the vacuum cleaner. Since the vacuum cleaner and its component parts are conventional and do not form a part of the present invention, they are not illustrated or described herein.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the machines for making vacuum cleaner bags may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic machine for making bags out of open.- ended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including a heated element located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover and means for imposing pressure on the bag-blanks as they pass over the heated element, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

2. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including a heated element located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover and means for imposing pressure on the bagblanks as they pass over the heated element, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart, and means for driving the conveyor, the patch applying means, the stitching means, the tape applying means and the cutting means in timed relation to each other.

3. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including an element located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover and means for imposing pressure on the bag-blanks as they pass over the element, a pair of sewing machines located on opposite sides of the conveyor for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

4. An automatic machine for making bags out of open-ended fiat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including a heated plate located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover, a belt having a flat run trained over the plate so as to press down upon the bag-blanks as they pass over the plate, heavy rollers shiftably mounted above said flat run of the belt and bearing downwardly thereon for imposing pressure through said belt upon the bag-blank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bagblanks apart.

5. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended fiat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including an element located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover and means for imposing pressure on the bag-blanks as they pass over the element, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, rolls of tape rotatablyrnonnted on opposite sides of the conveyor, folding applicators associated with each of the tape rolls for applying a continuous run of tape in a U-shaped seam-covfering-along the stitched margins of the bag-blanks, and means for cutting the bagblanks apart.

7,6, An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for imposing pressure on a cardboard patch whereby to apply same to a side wall of the bag-blank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, rolls of tape rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the conveyor, folding applicators associated with each of the tape rolls for applying a continuous run of tape in a U-shaped seam-covering along the stitched margins of the bag-blanks, pairs of vertically aligned rolls located on opposite sides of the conveyor for impinging upon the seam-coverings and squeezing them tightly into place, and means for cutting the bag-blanks apart.

7. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a relatively long straight line conveyor including two spaced parallel endless chains having a plurality of spaced pushers for engaging the longitudinal margins of the bag-blank, means for imposing pressure on a cardboard patch whereby to apply same to a side wall of the bagblank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

8. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a base-frame, a plurality of long fiat table-forming elements mounted on the base-frame in spaced parallel rela-tion, whereby elongated slots are formed between the opposed longitudinal margins thereof, parallel endless chains operatively mounted on the base-frame beneath the table-forming elements and having upper horizontal runs respectively disposed in alignment with said slots, pusher elements fastened upon each of said chains and projecting upwardly through said slots for engaging the longitudinal margins of bag-blanks manually placed in front of said pusher elements, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bagblanks apart.

9. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended fiat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a base-frame, a plurality of long flat table-forming elements mounted on the base-frame in spaced parallel relation, whereby elongated slots are formed between the opposed longitudinal margins thereof, parallel endless chains operatively mounted on the base-frame beneath the table-forming elements and having upper horizontal runs respectively disposed in alignment with said slots, pusher elements fastened upon each of said chains and projecting upwardly through said slots for engaging the longitudinal margins of bag-blanks manually placed in front of said pusher elements, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart, and means for driving the conveyor, the patch applying means, the stitching means, the tape applying means and the cutting means in timed relation to each other.

10. An automatic machine for making bags out of open-ended fiat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a base-frame, a plurality of long fiat table-forming elements mounted on the base-frame in spaced parallel relation, whereby elongated slots are formed between the opposed longitudinal margins thereof, parallel endless chains operatively mounted on the base-frame beneath the table-forming elements and having upper horizontal runs respectively disposed in alignment with said slots, pusher elements fastened upon each of said chains and projecting upwardly through said slots for engaging the longitudinal margins of bag-blanks manually placed in front of said pusher elements, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including a heated plate located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover, a belt having a flat run trained over the plate so as to press down upon the bag-blanks as they pass over the plate, heavy rollers shiftably mounted above said fiat run of the belt and bearing downwardly thereon for imposing pressure through said belt upon the bag-blanks, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

11. An automatic machine for making bags out of open-ended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a base-frame, a plurality of long flat table-forming elements mounted on the base-frame in spaced parallel relation, whereby elongated slots are formed between the opposed longitudinal margins thereof, parallel endless chains operatively mounted on the base-frame beneath the table-forming elements and having upper horizontal runs respectively disposed in alignment with said slots, pusher elements fastened upon each of said chains and projecting upwardly through said slots for engaging the longitudinal margins of bag-blanks manually placed in front of said pusher elements, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag-blank, said means including a heated plate located in the path of the conveyor so that the bag-blank will slide thereover, a belt having a fiat run trained over the plate so as to press down upon the bag-blanks as they pass over the plate, said belt being somewhat narrower than the transverse space between said slots and being located therebetween, heavy rollers shiftably mounted above said flat run of the belt and bearing downwardly thereon for imposing pressure through said belt upon the bagblanks, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

12. An automatic machine for making bags out of openended flat tubular bag-blanks; said machine comprising a base-frame, a plurality of long fiat table-forming elements mounted on the base-frame in spaced parallel re lation, whereby elongated slots are formed between the opposed longitudinal margins thereof, parallel endless chains operatively mounted on the base-frame beneath the table-forming elements and having upper horizontal runs respectively disposed in alignment with said slots, horizontal rails mounted on the base-frame beneath each slot for slidably supporting the horizontal upper run of each chain, pusher elements fastened upon each of said chains andprojecting upwardly through said slots for engaging the longitudinal margins of bag-blanks manually placed in front of said pusher elements, means for applying a cardboard patch to a side wall of the bag blank, means for stitching the ends of the bag-blank to close same, means for applying covering strips of tape over the stitched ends of the bag-blank, and means for cutting the several bag-blanks apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,775,793 Wechsler Sept. 16, 1930 1,780,005 Crawford Oct. 28, 1930 2,313,433 Golden Mar. 9, 1943 2,373,010 Brady Apr. 3, 1945 

